Other B12 Symptoms

[Galadou]

Does anyone with B12 deficiency have really bad insomnia? I am at my wits end because I can be so tired and then not be able to sleep.

[Nackapan]

Yes I think most people have experienced this at some point and it becomes a vicious circle.

Are you having your injections s in the morning ? I found this made some difference.

I also burn lavender and sit up in the dark for about an hour . No phone on or any other stimuli. Then usually slleo a bit better. It happened to me when I started to feel slightly better . As before that I was virtually bed bound as was drifting in and out day and night.

Routine is good too . Food not eaten within 2 hours ect ect

[Galadou in reply to Nackapan]

I have my B12 injections between 11am and 1.30 depending when the nurse can fit me in. I felt fine right after the last one but then a week of foggy head, weak, breathless and palpitations which has lasted a week!

[Nackapan in reply to Galadou]

Yes I've had that and the worse fatigue for a while. But fewer headaches? ? The day after injection okayish. Day of injection a tension headache and vision down. Right now miserable ad just seen to feel yuk and heady all the time

[ThePATexan in reply to Nackapan]

Nackapan, have they tried a different version for you? Both cyano and hydroxocobalamin do that to me with the tension and the headaches/body aches.

[Nackapan in reply to ThePATexan]

No I've only had hydroxocobalamin at my doctors in the UK.

That's interesting though.

I've had migrains chronic ice tension ongoing in some form now.

I get a headache on the day or day after of myour injection. Tried one after a week had the headache and one okayish day but made littke difference really. So 2 weekly at present. I've had a loading dose of vitamin d which I think know has helped frequency of headaches.

The only diagnosis on paper I'd b12 defiency. However one neurologist thought post concussion syndrome too??? 3 different neurologists. Plenty of theories but not conclusive.

I've also noticed whenever I try do do anything like small drive to vet other day , no stress just routine vaccination . I pay with a headache or tight skull random aches and nerve pain in my head and jaw. Feels like I've just been hit over the head in varying degrees. Fatigue is just awful again too. I suppose dealing with a sore head every day is tiring.

So what did you use now to get your B12? ?

I'm very methodical as if I followed doctors instructions would have no idea what's what.

The problem with brain messages to my eyes involved. Still can't read A4 or watch TV or look at a screen bigger than my phone. Even this sets my head sizzling? ? So am going to try tints in my glasses as worried about winter approaching. At the moment in bed before dark to avoI'd artificial lighting.

Thank you for your thoughts. Be interesting to know what you do now.

[Nackapan in reply to ThePATexan]

So what do you use now that suits you?

[ThePATexan in reply to Nackapan]

Big hugs!!

[deniseinmilden in reply to Galadou]

Hi Galadou

[deniseinmilden in reply to deniseinmilden]

Those sound like the deficiency symptoms of iron but could also be possible from dropping folate (B9) or something else (maybe potassium or magnesium?) limiting how much your extra B12 can work.

If you can, please go to my profile by double clicking on my name and look under the heading "replies" to see some of my other responses on the subject with more information - sorry it's a bit late to write more now and I might not get a chance in the morning.

Definitely go back to your Dr and ask for your iron and folate levels to be tested at the very least.

And for other information please ask again (when I'm more awake!! 😃😴). I hope you can get it sorted soon.

[EllieMayNot]

Yes, terrible insomnia. Only started treatment just over a month ago, hoping for some relief.

[deniseinmilden]

Yes, I had a bad "dose" of it yesterday afternoon and feel really yuk now. I knew I was tired and shouldn't carry on without a nap but got woken up after only a few seconds and that was it - I couldn't function and couldn't sleep.

There are quite a few posts on it so if run a search on it you should get lots of information.

I was too far gone yesterday to think it through but if I had I would probably have found that a few squirts of my D3 and K2 spray would be helpful.

Food and a multivitamin and mineral supplement tablet can often help too so it suggests to me that I'm getting short of something critical. Iron maybe?

You have my sympathy! I'm going to try to get some Zzzs now, before I get too tired again!

[ThePATexan in reply to deniseinmilden]

D3/K2 patches do seem to help quite a bit.

[deniseinmilden in reply to deniseinmilden]

Magnesium!!!! I couldn't remember this morning but I know increasing magnesium levels helps lots of people too.

[buster_uk]

Yes me too. I've just been prescribed amytriptaline 25mg.one a night. It certainly helps you sleep. It's just that it makes you very groggy the next day. But previously I've not had a good night's sleep for four years.

[Galadou in reply to buster_uk]

My Dr prescribed amytriptaline liquid 1/2 a 5ml tsp but like you said, makes you feel so groggy the next day so I stopped using it. I don't want to get into the habit of taking something to help me sleep. I use lavender and all essential oils, tried Epsom salts bath which is very relaxing but doesn't seem to help with the sleep situation. I'm now trying the breathing technique. 4-7-8 Relaxing breath. ... Hold the breath for a count of seven. Exhale through your mouth, again making a whoosh sound, but this time do it for a count of eight. Repeat this three more times. It worked for me for a couple of hours but then I was up at 2am wide awake! I am hopeless without a good night's sleep. It makes such a difference to your energy levels.

[buster_uk in reply to Galadou]

I've not so long started SI. So am a bit washed out anyway. Think it's called "going through the mill". One step forward. Three back.

[Nackapan in reply to Galadou]

Yes I've done thespecially 4 7 8 breathing exercises and the ones for nausea.they can be very helpful. Akso cawthorne pysio for vestibular balance problems. I only do the gentle starter ones. Good for posture too.

[deniseinmilden in reply to Galadou]

If you're having trouble sleeping, all the more reason to get your iron and magnesium checked. And vitamin D (sorry, I forgot that one in my last reply).

[deniseinmilden in reply to buster_uk]

That's probably your vitamin D shortage but low magnesium won't help either. You'll get there - I can't wait to see your posts in a few years time!

[pvanderaa]

I switched my injections from evening to morning to get better sleep as I was tossing and turning (restless leg symptoms).

However, I’ve now found taking methyl sublinguals 2x 5000mcg at bedtime helps me dream better and my sleep in much improved.

Old wives remedy: place a bar of soap under your bedsheets. Tried this. It basically wakes you up a bit when you kick the soap in bed and your thoughts change from whatever your mind is dreaming about and trying to resolve to swearing at the soap and drifting back to sleep again.

[deniseinmilden in reply to pvanderaa]

Ooo - good ideas, thank you!

I sometimes suffer from hideous nightmares that seem to be a result of more of my memory coming back when I'm asleep - I end up reliving loads of really bad stuff that I had often deliberately blanked from my memory alongside the stuff that got wiped from my recall when I was at my most B12 deficient. I lose quite a lot of sleep now just trying to get over the trauma of revisiting old stuff that I'd tried to forget!!! Thankfully if I'm too disturbed by it my cat will often wake me up and while his breath doesn't smell as good as your bar of soap, I guess it's a similar principle!

[pvanderaa in reply to deniseinmilden]

Hope it works for you too. We initially were told to put the bar of soap under the mattress which did absolutely nothing. But after visiting the sister in-law, she had it just under the sheets. Worked like a charm, but not in the way I initially thought it would.

[deniseinmilden in reply to pvanderaa]

Thank you! I expect that for me, even with knowing about it, there will be a degree of placebo effect going on too because I respect and trust you, and that is often the best medicine for malaise of the thought processes.

[Hanneke12]

By far the best solution I found in all these years of trying to beat insomnia are these: nothingmuchhappens.com/stories. My favorites are 'Winter walk', 'Ducks in a row', 'First this, then that', 'At the bakery', and 'Coffee on the stoop, or how to have a better day'. After a few days, it's hard for me to even stay awake until the end of a story. And I significantly sleep deeper and longer after listening than without (my fitbit confirms this)!

[deniseinmilden in reply to Hanneke12]

Lovely, thank you! I find BBC science podcasts are good for me too but love the idea of stories.

[Sita505USA]

I have been listening to the podcast, Nothing Much Happens and believe it is helping me with insomnia. I believe I read about it here some time ago. It was posted by someone who used this method to get off Ambien. Good luck and sweet slumbers. Sita

[HeartyGilly]

Might I suggest that you try soaking your feet in Epson Salts in warm water in the evenings, but for a minimum of 45 minutes. You might need to keep a boiled kettle handy to top up the water as it cools. The length of time is important.

[jarlethblue]

I had awful insomnia......for months....it was just horrific and i tried everything including three different prescription sleeping tablets.....but what worked for me was the B12 injections and Generic Benadryl Nighttime Sleep-Aid Diphenhydramine HCI 50 mg 100 Capsules (this is the ebay listing). They are wort trying. x. J

[ThePATexan]

Jarlethblue, be careful with the diphenhydramine. Studies have now linked it to many cases of dementia. I had been taking it for a different condition, then ended up having a stroke and aneurysm. That’s scary! Be sure your GP knows if you take it.

[deniseinmilden in reply to ThePATexan]

Not good. Thank you for the warning! Wishing you continuing improvements from it.